These persons include eight high-ranking military officials and eight scientists involved in chemical weapons proliferation and delivery

BRUSSELS, July 17. /TASS/. Foreign ministers from 28 European Union countries have agreed to impose new sanctions against 16 individuals involved in the development and use of chemical weapons in Syria, the EU Council, which is meeting in Brussels on Monday, said in a report.

"On 17 July 2017, the Council added 16 persons to the list of those targeted by EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime," the report says.

The report highlighted that the EU "added these 16 persons for their role in the development and use of chemical weapons against the civilian population." These persons include eight high-ranking military officials and eight scientists involved in chemical weapons proliferation and delivery, the EU Council explained. Their names will be published in the EU Official Journal on July 18, 2017.

The EU-led sanctions against Syria are one of the biggest that have ever been imposed by the European Union. They have been gradually extending since 2012 and to date include an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments, a freeze of the assets of the Syrian central bank in the EU and export restrictions on equipment and technology that might be used for internal repression as well as on equipment and technology for the monitoring or interception of internet or telephone communications. Apart from this, 255 persons and 67 entities in Syria were added to the EU’s blacklist.